A system, method, and apparatus are provided for distributing a content item toward target recipients solely via first degree connections (e.g., in a professional network, in a social network). For a selected content item and identified target recipients of the item, when a user initiates a message to forward or otherwise convey the content item, one or more schemes are applied to select and automatically populate the message with suitable addressees. In one scheme, values are computed for each neighbor of the sender, to indicate the value of delivering the item to that neighbor; the message is automatically addressed to the highest-value neighbors. In another scheme, user communities that encompass the target recipients are identified and the message is automatically addressed to neighbors that are best able to disseminate the item throughout a community. In another scheme a minimal set of neighbors having connections to all target recipients is identified.
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1. A method of automatically populating a message with one or more selected addressees, the method comprising: selecting a content item to be distributed via automatically addressed messages; identifying multiple target recipients of the content item; and upon notification of generation of a message comprising the content item by a message initiator, operating one or more processors to: identify, within a network comprising the message initiator, a sub-network comprising first degree connections of the message initiator; identify a minimal set of the first degree connections through which the message initiator is connected to the target recipients; select as addressees one or more of the first degree connections that have not previously received the content item; and automatically address the message to the selected addressees.
This system automatically populates a message with suggested recipients. When a user wants to send a content item (like a document or link) to specific target recipients, the system identifies the user's direct connections (first-degree connections) in a network. It then determines the smallest set of these direct connections that can reach all the intended target recipients. The system selects one or more of these direct connections as addressees, excluding anyone who has already received the content item, and automatically adds them to the message's recipient list.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting as addressees one or more of the first degree connections comprises: for each first degree connection, calculating an associated value of delivering the content item to the first degree connection; and ranking the first degree connections by said calculated values.
Building upon the method of automatically populating a message with suggested recipients, this enhancement calculates a value for each of the user's direct connections, representing the potential benefit of delivering the content item to them. This value is then used to rank the direct connections. The higher the value, the better the connection is as a potential addressee for the message containing the content item. The ranking determines which connections are automatically added to the message.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein calculating a value associated with a given first degree connection comprises: obtaining a weight corresponding to the given first degree connection, wherein the weight is proportional to similarities between characteristics of the content item and corresponding attributes of the first degree connection; identifying first degree connections of the given first degree connection; for each first degree connection of the given first degree connection, calculating a value of delivering the content item to the corresponding first degree connection; summing the values of delivering the content item to the corresponding first degree connections of the given first degree connection; multiplying the sum by a probability that the given first degree connection will initiate a message to transmit the content item, to yield a probable value; and combining the probable value and the weight corresponding to the given first degree connection to yield the value associated with the given first degree connection.
To calculate the value of delivering a content item to a direct connection, as described in the system for automatically populating messages, the system first assigns a weight based on how well the content item's characteristics match the direct connection's attributes. Then, it identifies that connection's own direct connections and calculates a delivery value for each of them. These values are summed, and the sum is multiplied by the probability that the initial direct connection will forward the content item. This "probable value" is combined with the initial weight to determine the overall value for that direct connection.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: identifying one or more communities comprising the target recipients; wherein selecting one or more of the first degree connections comprises: if the message initiator is a member of an identified community, ranking the first degree connections by their connectedness within the identified communities.
In the system for automatically populating messages, the system identifies relevant communities containing the target recipients. If the user initiating the message is part of one of these communities, the system ranks their direct connections based on how well-connected they are within those identified communities. The system uses this community connectedness ranking to select the most influential or central direct connections within the communities as message addressees.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising operating the one or more processors to: if the message initiator is not a member of at least one identified community, rank the first degree connections by their proximities to the identified communities.
Continuing from the system of automatically populating messages and identifying relevant communities, if the user initiating the message *isn't* a member of at least one of the identified communities containing the target recipients, the system ranks the user's direct connections based on their *proximity* to those communities. This proximity ranking helps select addressees who are most likely to bridge the gap between the user and the target recipient communities.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically addressing the message comprises: inserting addresses of the selected addressees into an addressee field of the message.
In the process of automatically addressing a message, the system takes the addresses of the selected recipients and inserts them directly into the address field of the message. This eliminates the need for the sender to manually add these recipients.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message initiator is unable to remove any of the selected addressees from the message.
In the system for automatically populating a message with addressees, the user initiating the message is prevented from removing any of the automatically selected addressees. This ensures the message reaches the intended recipients identified by the system.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message initiator is unable to add to the message any addressees other than the selected addressees.
In the system for automatically populating a message with addressees, the user initiating the message is restricted from adding any other addressees to the message beyond those automatically selected by the system. This ensures the message is sent only to the recipients the system determined are most appropriate.
9. An apparatus for automatically populating a message with one or more selected addressees, comprising: one or more processors; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to: select a content item to be distributed via automatically addressed messages; identify multiple target recipients of the content item; and upon notification of generation of a message comprising the content item by a message initiator: identify, within a network comprising the message initiator, a sub-network comprising first degree connections of the message initiator; identify a minimal set of the first degree connections through which the message initiator is connected to the target recipients; select as addressees one or more of the first degree connections that have not previously received the content item; and automatically address the message to the selected addressees.
This invention is an apparatus (a device or system) designed to automatically populate a message with suggested recipients. It includes processors and memory. The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processors, cause the system to select a content item, identify multiple target recipients, and, when a user composes a message with that content, identify the user's direct connections in a network. It then finds the smallest set of those connections needed to reach the target recipients, selects one or more of them (excluding those who already have the content), and automatically adds them as recipients.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein selecting as addressees one or more of the first degree connections comprises: for each first degree connection, calculating an associated value of delivering the content item to the first degree connection; and ranking the first degree connections by said calculated values.
Expanding on the apparatus for automatically populating messages, the selection of addressees involves calculating a value for each of the user's direct connections that represents the potential benefit of delivering the content to them. The system then ranks the direct connections according to these calculated values, with higher values indicating better candidates for receiving the content. This ranking informs the automatic addressee selection process.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein calculating a value associated with a given first degree connection comprises: obtaining a weight corresponding to the given first degree connection, wherein the weight is proportional to similarities between characteristics of the content item and corresponding attributes of the first degree connection; identifying first degree connections of the given first degree connection; for each first degree connection of the given first degree connection, calculating a value of delivering the content item to the corresponding first degree connection; summing the values of delivering the content item to the corresponding first degree connections of the given first degree connection; multiplying the sum by a probability that the given first degree connection will initiate a message to transmit the content item, to yield a probable value; and combining the probable value and the weight corresponding to the given first degree connection to yield the value associated with the given first degree connection.
In the apparatus for automatically populating messages, the value calculation for each direct connection involves multiple steps. First, a weight is assigned based on the similarity between the content item's characteristics and the direct connection's attributes. Next, the system identifies the direct connection's own connections and calculates delivery values for each of them. These values are summed, and the sum is multiplied by the probability that the initial direct connection will forward the content. This probable value is then combined with the initial weight to determine the final value for that direct connection.
12. The apparatus of claim 9 , the memory further storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to: identify one or more communities comprising the target recipients; wherein selecting one or more of the first degree connections comprises: if the message initiator is a member of an identified community, ranking the first degree connections by their connectedness within the identified communities.
The apparatus for automatically populating messages also identifies communities that include the target recipients. If the message initiator is a member of one of these communities, the system ranks the first-degree connections based on their level of connectedness within those identified communities. The addressees are then selected based on this community-based ranking.
13. The apparatus of claim 9 , the memory further storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to: if the message initiator is not a member of at least one identified community, rank the first degree connections by their proximities to the identified communities.
The apparatus for automatically populating messages includes the capability to adapt the addressee selection process based on the message initiator's community membership. Specifically, *if* the initiator isn't a member of at least one community containing the target recipients, the system ranks the initiator's direct connections according to their proximity to the identified communities.
14. A system for automatically populating a message with one or more selected addressees, the system comprising: one or more processors; network data describing a user network of nodes representing users and edges representing connections between users; a recipient selection module comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to: identify multiple target recipients of a selected content item; a minimum identification module comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to: identify a minimal set of network neighbors through which a first user is connected to the target recipients; an addressee selection module comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to: select, when the first user initiates a message to convey the selected content item, one or more network neighbors of the first user who have not previously received the selected content item; and a message interface module comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to: automatically address the message to the selected neighbors.
This invention is a system designed to automatically suggest message recipients. It includes processors, network data representing a social network, a module to identify target recipients for a content item, a module to identify the minimum set of a user's direct connections needed to reach those recipients, a module that selects appropriate direct connections as addressees (avoiding those who already have the content) when the user composes a message, and a module that automatically adds those selected connections to the message's recipient list.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the system further comprises: criteria associated with the selected content item for identifying the target recipients.
Building upon the automatic message recipient system, this enhancement incorporates criteria that are specifically associated with the selected content item. These criteria are used to accurately identify the target recipients who would be most interested in or benefit from receiving the content.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the system further comprises a community identification module comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to: apply the criteria to identify one or more user communities, within the user network, that comprise the target recipients.
Expanding on the system with content-specific criteria, this enhancement adds a module that identifies user communities within the network that are relevant to the target recipients. The content-specific criteria are applied to identify one or more of these communities that contain the target recipients.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the system further comprises a community ranking module comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to: if the first user is a member of an identified user community, rank the network neighbors of the first user by their connectedness within the identified user communities; and if the first user is not a member of at least one identified user community, rank the network neighbors of the first user by their proximities to the identified user communities.
The automatic recipient system with community identification further incorporates a community ranking module. This module ranks a user's direct connections within the identified user communities based on their connectedness. If the user isn't a member of a community, the module ranks direct connections based on proximity to those communities.
18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium of the addressee selection module further stores instructions executable by the one or more processors to: promote distribution of the selected content item throughout the identified user communities but not beyond the identified user communities.
In the system for automatically populating messages and identifying communities, the addressee selection module is designed to promote distribution of the content within identified user communities, while also preventing it from spreading beyond those specific communities.
19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium of the addressee selection module further stores instructions executable by the one or more processors to: calculate, for each network neighbor of the first user, a value of delivering the content item to the neighbor.
Within the automatic message recipient system, the addressee selection module calculates a value for each of the user's direct connections, representing the potential benefit of delivering the content item to that specific neighbor.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the system further comprises, for each network neighbor of the first user, a weight corresponding to a similarity between criteria associated with the selected content item for identifying the target recipients and corresponding attributes of the neighbor.
In the automatic recipient system, each network neighbor of the user has an associated weight that reflects the similarity between the content item's target-recipient criteria and the neighbor's attributes. This weight is used in calculating the value of delivering the content item to that neighbor.
21. The system of claim 14 , wherein the user network is a professional social network.
In the automatic message recipient system, the underlying user network is specifically a professional social network (like LinkedIn).
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February 19, 2015
May 2, 2017
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